MINDFULNESS: Your Connection to the Divine

Mindfulness is the secret of life. A life lived mindfully is a life lived full of peace, tranquility, joy, bliss, ecstasy and compassion. Mindfulness is our direct link to the Universe. It is the solution that we as human beings have been seeking outside ourselves since the beginning of modern times. The simple practice of mindfulness has been around for thousands of years; however most human beings discard this approach to life and instead search for more complex and intellectual philosophies or techniques. Unfortunately, this external journey never resolves itself. There are many individuals and texts available that also complicate and over analyze mindfulness. It seems that our ego is programmed to complicate even the simplest solutions. Mindfulness is meant to be simple, yet a profound way to live. This present centered solution allows us to live authentic lives.

So, what exactly is mindfulness and how do you apply it to your life? Mindfulness is a specific form of meditation or simply put awareness of the moment. There are many different forms of meditation, however we are going to specifically focus on mindfulness meditation, which this author believe to be the most practical and pure meditative exercise. Mindfulness involves directly participating in each moment as it occurs with complete awareness of your present experience. Life only exists in the Here and Now when practicing mindfulness. The moment we experience is pure and unadulterated. Mindfulness is a "living" meditation that you can practice each second of your precious life. There is no need to escape to a secluded place, as you can engage in mindfulness anywhere and at anytime, no matter what is happening around you.

Instead of presenting the reader with one rigid definition of mindfulness, a few but concise definitions will be presented below drawn from the wisdom of various experts and practitioners of mindfulness.

Jon Kabat-Zinn, the best selling author of Wherever You Go There You Are and the creator of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, describes mindfulness meditation as "paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally."

Levey and Levey in their magnificent book, Simple Meditation and Relaxation, state " Mindfulness liberates us from memories of the past and fantasies of the future by bringing reality of the present moment clearly into focus." They also express that "mindfulness makes us aware of life's everyday miracles."

In one of the ancient Buddhist commentaries, it is stated that mindfulness is "presence of mind, attentiveness to the present... "

Stephen Levine, author of A Gradual Awakening, says that mindfulness is a " moment to moment awareness of whatever arises, whatever exists."

Meditation teacher and author Sylvia Boorstein states that mindfulness is having " the aware, balanced acceptance of present experience. It is not more complicated than that. It is opening to or receiving the present moment, pleasant or unpleasant, just as it is, without either clinging to or rejecting it."

These simple yet profound use diverse expression and terminology, but what they all share in common is that mindfulness is being completely and fully present for life. It is being aware of what is going on within and around you in each moment of your miraculous existence. We simply practice awareness without judgment, accepting our thoughts and emotions exactly as they are.

As you may have noticed mindfulness is a simple yet, powerful way to live our lives. Its simply being Right Here, Right Now: immersing your entire being in the present moment and fully experiencing your life. That's it! It really is that straight forward. It is not necessary to over analyze, intellectualize, or complicate what it is to be mindful. Of course our ego wants to distract us in any way possible, but don't allow this. Recognize the presence of your ego, say hello, and then calmly dismiss it. All there is to being mindful is to Simply Be. While there are plenty more advanced explanations on this topic available for you to further explore if you desire; what has been described here is the simple and pure essence of mindfulness meditation.

As you leave this article and continue your journey of mindful living or if you are just beginning, this writer suggests that you dive into the ocean of Now and intimately acquaint yourself with the pleasure of what is directly in front of you. As expressed in the Zen tradition, "When eating, eta and when walking, walk."

Are you Right Here, Right Now? If not, center yourself and experience the bliss and ecstasy of the eternal moment. Enjoy your journey!

Richard Singer is due to release his new book, Eastern Wisdom Western Soul in August of 2016. This article is adapted from Mr. Singer's new book. Eastern Wisdom Western Soul is your personal guide to living a present centered life directly from the depths of your soul. It provides the reader with the knowledge and practical applications to detach from the prison of the ego and dive into the ecstacy of the authentic self. To find more out about Richard's work and to access other inspiring resources visit his website at. http://www.EasternWisdomWesternSoul.com

Hi Richard - Thanks for submitting this article. My name is Regina, I'm one of the editors here at OM Times. I have a few minor suggestions before we forward this to the publishers ...

- First off, your bio is a tad too long. Would you be able to trim it down to 60 words?

- Second, I'd suggest including subheadings to break it down visually for readers. For example, we might include the heading "What is Mindfulness" before the third paragraph.

- I found the following sentence to be awkward in its wording, would you be able to rephrase it in a more direct and concise manner? ... "Instead of presenting the reader with one rigid definition of mindfulness, a few but concise definitions will be presented below drawn from the wisdom of various experts and practitioners of mindfulness."

One more comment (I should have checked this first), but we only publish original content on OM Times Magazine and I see that you have already published this on ezinearticles, which opens it up to the entire web. If it hasn't already been sourced from Ezines (and if you can take it down asap) we can send the revised version to the publishers for review. If not, we'll keep an eye out for your next submission, if it is "exclusive" to OM Times.

I married a Theravada Buddhist in Malaysia about a decade ago, and have since learned much about Buddhism, including the fine distinctions between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism, either of which is keen to Mindfulness, but with subtle distinctions.

My wife, upon coming to the United States, found several major Buddhist monasteries in the United States, all of which give classes and have retreats on Mindfulness, including the "City of Ten-Thousand Buddhas" which is the former State of California Mendocino State Hospital, and Dhrama Drum Mountain Monastery in New York,. All give generally free classes in meditation and it's cousin Mindfulness, usually including a free very healthy meal.

My 1970's era metaphysical quest connected perfectly with my wife's authentic Buddhist meditation practices, and I began writing about metaphysics only after our wedding. I've learned a lot about Mindfulness through these organizations. Western man has inputted some interesting ideas, but the ancient metaphysical ideas such as Mindfulness will be necessary to bring coherence to it.